Building a Bridge into Preschool in Remote Northern Territory Communities

In collaboration with Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) in the NT Department of Education (DoE), the study aims to increase the school readiness of young Indigenous children in two remote communities in the Territory. Using a validated early childhood program model -Abecedarian Approach Australia (3a) - with local cultural and educational practices, a cohort of 80 children aged between 12 months and 3 years and their families will be followed, to identify the contributions of learning in the early years of life. The process of program implementation, family and child participation, and adult/child interactions will also be studied in order to understand their relationship(s) to child outcomes.

The focus of this study is the engagement of remote Indigenous children and families in a culturally appropriate, validated early childhood education and care program that provides an opportunity to close the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous school achievement.